Cat vs. Bird Dilemma

The cat has been sitting in one spot crying all day. When I went out to empty the dehumidifier into the plant containers, I heard some squeaking. Looking around, I found a little nest in my hanging fern, which is right above where the cat has been sitting all day. In the nest were at least two tiny little baby birds chirping away. Apparently that bird that has been yelling at me from the deck for the past couple of days has not had much chance to come to feed her babies because of our huntress. We brought the cat in and closed up the house. Within minutes I saw the mama bird come back to her nest.

So, do we keep the cat inside where she’ll be miserable or do we let her out and hope for the best for the birds?? I’ll probably try to keep her in, but I’m afraid she will make us miserable.